a dash from Donna Lyn...

"A"sian

2012-02-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Conversation with Jelly on the way to school:

I'm so proud of you for being an A student!

J: you mean A and one B student

I'm proud of you for being an Honor Roll Student.

J: My friend was telling me that he found a note on his fridge from his dad that read, "Son, I saw your report card - just remember that you are an Asian not a Bsian!"

! ..... hmmmm, well you're a Caucasian...so you should be getting C's!

J: That's better than what I was thinking

What? Dumb blonde? You should be getting D's?

J: (laughs) No, momma.

Female? F's?

J: (rolls eyes and tries not to smile as she's getting out of the car)

Bye Asian! I mean Bsian!

a dash of pithy (hey, that's funny!)

2012-01-31T13:46:00.000-08:00

I have discovered one of my friend's blogs and she writes every single night.

It is pithy, it is transparent, it is moving.

It is encouraging and it is Lori. just so Lori.

i love it! and i love her!

Lately I have not been blogging as much because I found an outlet in Twittering

pithy

Twittering bold statements of what is possible in my life

Twittering what is happening in my business in 140 characters or less

Twittering about my life and mishaps and quirks and basically sharing joy in the moment

I have found that a lot of people use Twitter to vent

I just feel there's already so much negativity in this world, so once-in-awhile I'll vent but mostly you'll find me being the joyful, hyper (over-caffeinated?) person I am

And then there are Dove Chocolates...pithy but not what I need

Here's some recent messages I've been getting:

Love yourself (check)

Believe in yourself (check)

Let your sensuousness shine through (better put on some lipstick!)

Today I could really use some Dove Chocolates that say things like:

Stay off of Facebook for 20 minutes and you may have another

Clean up that pile of papers on your desk and you may have two more

Stop stuffing your face loser!

Pithy

our first pinewood derby

2012-01-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

Yah, we were pretty proud...

The lego lights an added touch of genius

So excited to race in our first ever Pinewood Derby

My Hero spent hours...well, it seemed like hours, in the garage with the Prince

We heard the stories, the stories of the 'amazing' cars boy scouts make but we were ready to take them all on. Soo ready.

Then we arrived and right behind us Mr Titanic arrived...

ok.

that's pretty cool.

that's pretty amazing, actually.

but did you see our Lego lights?

A car carrier...ok...and those are real working lights?

I mean that actually light up?

Cool.

Oh, a log truck...

impressive!

very impressive.

and it just got more amazing....

apparently this little penguin exceeded the weight limit so he got booted from the derby

i mean people were taking this very seriously...i saw dads there with laptops coordinating the load and force and wind sheer of the track...or whatever dads do with laptops at a Pinewood derby race.

a cheese car....wow!

(this little cheese car would end up winning

every. single. race.

it was soo awesome!)

guarantee you next year there will be 20 cheese cars...just sayin'

I loved the skateboard derby car

more 'real working lights' and probably a loud siren

amazing paint jobs

super fast and stable wheels

but surely the Prince would win a few races? maybe place 2nd?

not. a. single. race.

(and there were a lot of them)

didn't even win

most creative

most unusual

most patriotic

...just didn't win

which is totally fine.

a lot of the boys were shouting "Yay!! I won first place!!!!!" or "Yay!! I won second place!!" " What did you place?" I think it just got tough on him to constantly say, "I didn't win." He came over and sat with us for awhile and his eyes filled up with tears, he was getting kind of down. I mean he was so proud of his car but the wheels were a bit wobbly so it wasn't very fast. He hung tough and when the race was over he actually went up to cheese-car guy and congratulated him on winning and making such an awesome car. Then he joined the other boys and raced his car some more just for the fun of it.

love!

On the way home I told him "How you handled losing today was worth more than any race or trophy you could have won. I am so proud of you for being a good sport!" And I truly was proud. And am. I love Boy Scouts and how they are teaching the boys to make things with their hands, being resourceful and creative. The boys were very good sports and all seemed super excited to be there doing this thing with dads.

happy birthday jelly!

2012-01-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

My "jelly-in-the-middle" turns 14 this month! Happy Birthday to my amazing, beautiful, determined, sugar-lovin', pretty smilin', laughter making, sometimes-stormy but always loved, very talented, thoughtful, baby-whisperer, dog-whisperer, honor-roll achiever, peace out Girl Scout, volunteer, always ready with a quick-comeback, will walk in rain, sleet, or hail, will play sports in mud, rain, or downpours with that beautiful smile on your face....LOVE YOU, make a great day and a more amazing year!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo ym ♥ You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!

I love your friends! Last year Jelly decided to start sitting with girls who laugh together instead of sitting with girls who whispered about her. Made all the difference. <3

a sweet family celebration with homemade cake

love you girl! keep that beautiful smile!

my girls never did that #197

2012-01-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned how kids can help too...

well, my girls do vacuum...

but my girls never took the Christmas lights down...

all by themselves...

too cute! (ok, he had a little help)

Christmas Binder

2012-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Got a lot of use out of my Christmas binder this holiday season!

It's something you put together and use year after year...

Some of the things I keep in my Christmas binder are:

Recipes

Christmas Card Address List

Kid's Wish Lists

(it's fun to go back through the years and see what the kids asked Santa for)

You can also keep a Flylady or Organized Christmas list in your binder

I put everything into sheet protectors to protect it during the hustle and bustle of baking and cooking....works especially well for my recipes

I decorated the front and back cover with a collage of pretties from magazines

Updated my Christmas card address list and wiped off some of the sheet protectors.

Now it's put away in the pantry until late next Fall when I intend to pull it out (earlier this year!!) and use it again and again. My faithful Christmas Binder.

New Year organizing kick!

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

New Year's is a perfect time for 'out with the old, in with the new' Organizing Kick! First I started with the Prince's Lego collection. I found these drawer organizers at Target and they work perfect for sorting his Legos. He used to have his Legos dumped all together in a large tub but that made it hard for him to get creative and build stuff. Now he can see his pieces at a glance and it inspires creativity. Then they easily slide under his train table when he's done. (He is 6, I don't recommend this for a younger age because well, you know, it will all just get dumped anyway so save yourself the hassle of sorting until they can do it themselves).

I also got all our Christmas decorations and 'stuff' out of cardboard boxes this year.

I went through it all sorting into Give Away, Recycle, Trash and Keep

Then got it all into Suburbia storage (ala Target, Fred Meyer and Thirty-One):

This is very pared down. My brother in So Calif has 27 boxes of Christmas decorations and I'm sure many of you have much more than this (anyone watched Selling Spelling Manor?)

Even my little guy has gotten into this organizing/cleaning thing...

kids are never too young to help!

we let our little ones stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve (being on the West Coast is nice because when it's New Year's in New York we get to see the ball drop, the kids think it's midnight, we send them to bed at 9:05pm and then we get another 3 hours to drink and be merry). We even serve a little Martinelli's sparkling cider in champagne flutes...

He looks so tired because he thinks it's midnight (brilliant parents!)

Happy New Year!!

Happy Organizing!!

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Cheers to 'changes' ... 2011 has been a very good year for me. I see 2012 as full of possibility! Let's kick it in 2012!!

dashing through December...

2011-12-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

Ohmygoodness...December flew by! All because I was teasing that "Organized Christmas" lady and kind of ignored the whole preparing for Christmas thing as if it needed preparing for. As if! December came with a fury and rumbled along with me chasing it all while stuffing my face with cookies....yes, lots and lots of cookies.

Here are the highlights:

Twitter

my two new distractions (my blog is jealous)

Cookie Exchange Parties (two! in the same week!)

more cookies...

and more cookies...

Oh! (ahem!) It appears to be more cookies...

One of my best friends and her darling "Daddy's Cute Cookie"...

are you sensing a theme here???

Guess what ornament I received in the secret Ornament Exchange?

Perfect.

Love the sparkly sugar!

Help. Me. Please.

Found me a helper. Nice!

I even won a prize at one of the Cookie Exchange parties for

Most Delicious Tasting Cookie!

It was my Peppermint Meltaways:

Guess what I won?

A mitten-shaped Pancake Mold!

For more yummy Christmas goodness!

Lest you think that all I did was eat my way through Christmas...here are some other highlights:

We went to several concerts...from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to the local Middle School Orchestra (Jelly jingle-bell-rocked her violin!) to the High School Choir Concert where Blondie performed with the Treble Choir.

Jelly auditioned for a part in the upcoming Musical and got a Call Back and a part!

Both Jelly and Blondie made Honor Roll. (hmm, this is starting to sound like one of those Christmas brag letters, sorry!)

but aren't they so cute....

Ok, here's a dose of reality for you...

I knocked our tree over

after it was fully adorned with our collection of glass-blown ornaments.

yah, not one of my finer moments....

thank the Good Lord only 3 ornaments broke.

another dose of reality...

I did NOT wear the body ~~snatcher~~ shaper this year to My Hero's Christmas party (see last year's post for that mishap)

anyhoo, there were lots of parties...

and cookies...and caroling...and cheer...

and gathering around the piano...

and even a reindeer!

and bows and presents and a whirlwind of Happy Birthday Jesus!

Our church children's program gave us a box of Cake Mix, frosting, and a Happy Birthday Jesus sign to put on it. I love the concept but I just couldn't do it. In fact I seriously need a sugar detox after this December. And a spending detox.

So it was fun, it was fast, it was furious...but

next year....

I will not ridicule the organizing websites, but I will get a jump on them and start my Christmas planning in October! But more on my goals later....it's only Dec 30th afterall.

GPS your tree hunt

2011-12-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

we brought our kids out of suburbia and into U-cut land

We used to put a glove on our tree choices...

but this year Blondie quickly marked each tree on her i-phone

our 3 girls and a prince ran all over the place picking out trees and virtually marking them

with the i-phone we were able to find our top picks

and with an old-fashioned game of Marco Polo we were able to find all our children

even a reindeer...

the world's smallest icicle

2011-12-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

hanging off a spider web....today i found the world's smallest icicle

didn't notice these spiderwebs until we had a visit from Jack Frost...

Santa will text you now...

2011-12-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sugar had a holiday choir concert at the mall.

Blondie and Jelly had no problem waking up early on a Saturday...

They were so excited to ~~go shopping~~ hear their sister sing!

The Prince thought he would like to meet Santa. I asked him if he thought he had been naughty or nice this year....

He asked me (again) if I would please forgive him for 'breaking your favorite bowl'....

Of course, I will sweetheart. Things can be replaced, people can't.

You are more important than a bowl, love.

(and honestly, I can't even remember what bowl he is talking about).

I was so excited to see there was no line for Santa! That is unheard of around here so I said, Yes, you can meet Santa!

Then....the cute elf asked for my cell phone # and told me that Santa would text me when he's available.

Oh.

So there was a virtual line...an hour long virtual line.

Sugar decided she was 'too old' to sit on Santa's lap and was just going to send him a letter.

We continued shopping and sure enough after a few hundred dollars charged to my credit card (mall brilliance), I got a text "Santa will see you in 14 minutes! Do you need more time? Text M"

As we made our way back to Santa, I reflected on when my two oldest girls were little and I would take them to see Santa...I reflected on the magic of the season...I started looking at him and you know, he was a good Santa. He looked like he could pass for the real thing...

I whispered to Sugar and the Prince "hey, he kinda looks like the real Santa. You know, sometimes the real Santa shows up at places like this and nobody knows its really Him. Look at his beard..."

The Prince: It's real!!

Look at his cheeks...

The Prince: They're rosy!

And his belly...it shakes...

Like a bowl full of jelly!

Suddenly, Sugar wasn't too old anymore....

In fact, I was ready to sit on the old guy's lap and ask for....

hmmm, what would I ask for?

already got it...

peace | love | joy

and it came from a little baby in a manger...

Merry Christmas!

Pink Birthday Party

2011-11-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Sugar! Last year she had a Purple Birthday Party and this year she chose a Pink Birthday Party. I love that she wanted to have her party at home. It felt so "old school" to me.

We asked all the guests to wear pink. We set the table with pink cups, pink napkins, bowls of popcorn and Hershey's kisses (pink candy is hard to find).

Blondie did Sugar's hair...she gave her a mermaid crimp - absolutely stunning!

When the girls arrived we had the Wii on to Just Dance 2

It didn't even matter that all the girls didn't have a remote, some wanted to score with their dance moves, others just joined in the fun and others watched. It was very fun and the music was a great way to get the party started!

We played some games and had prizes....

The girl who wore the most pink items to the party won a prize

The girl who wrote down (in 1 minute) the most words that rhyme with "pink" won a prize

The girl who wrote down (in 1 minute) the most things that are pink won a prize

We played 'unwrap the present' game and the girl who unwrapped the last layer got to keep the prize (it's played kind of like hot potato)

Then we moved to the craft room to make crafts...

We had Kits put together by the very talented Kristina Thom of GabbyGirl

We strayed from the pink theme as not every girl would want a pink headband, so we let them choose their favorite color schemes and then choose a headband

This is where it's extremely helpful to have older siblings. The girls layered the pieces together as they liked then gave them to Jelly and her friend to hot glue them together.

After the craft time, we let Sugar open her presents

We kept moving the activities so the girls were moving to different rooms (or stations), this seems to help keep the party moving. We over-invited because it was a holiday weekend but to our surprise most everyone came so we had a full house. I could not have done it with out the amazing help of Blondie and Jelly and Jelly's friend. Having teenagers in the house who love to help is a blessing!!!

I saved the cupcake for last because I didn't want a bunch of sugar-crazed girls screaming and running all around the house (instead I like to send them home that way)

Again, I don't know why but not everyone loves pink, so we did offer a choice of Vanilla or Strawberry plain cupcakes. We put them on individual plates with a huge dollop of frosting and a plastic knife. We set out bowls of toppings on the table for the girls to share:

mini marshmellows

mini chocolate chips

sprinkles, sprinkles, sprinkles

mini Oreos (again not pink! the Purple party we were strictly purple, but it's hard to find pink this time of year)

we served Raspberry Lemonade (could not find Pink Lemonade! what?)

also a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or Peppermint Ice Cream

The girls made some delectable creations. Sugar and her BFF didn't even eat their cupcakes because they said they were 'too pretty to eat'

Then it was time for the parents to pick up! Just about 2 hours of pink fun and I'm done. We gave each guest a pink Goodie Bag with their headband, Pink Bubblicious bubble gum, a pink bracelet, lip gloss, cupcake stickers, and any prizes that they had won playing the games. It was a fun "old school" party for a 10-year-old!

sounded like a good idea...

2011-11-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

So I ordered these awesome new measuring cups where the measurements are written on the inside and at an angle for easy measuring. I thought this was a good idea....

My kitchen sink is black....

My kitchen counters are black...

Can't. See. Jack.

A Pearl in the Storm

2011-11-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

loved, loved, loved this book!

Tori Murden McClure was able to weave her adventure into a memoir - hopping between the two with such fluidity...it was heart breakingly brilliant.

I especially loved the passage on Page 243 where she compares backcountry to civilization (she was not only the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, she was also the first woman to ski over land to the South Pole):

"Life in the backcountry is reduced to the bare essentials: some equipment, some food, and, if you're lucky, a few friends with whom to share the experience. You don't carry much with you, so you take care of the things you have. You watch the weather and always know where to find your raincoat. You learn to take care of yourself and the people around you. You don't leave things half done, because a half-tied knot or a half-pitched tent can lead to serious consequences. You do things that are difficult. You take risks that may require you to trust your companions with your very life. When you ask another climber, "How are you?" you genuinely care about the answer.

Life in the '"real world" is hazy, and it is piled full of superfluous things that have little bearing on survival. Modern conveniences equate with disposability. When things break, we throw them away. When friendships break, we throw them away. After all, there are so many people. We don't watch the weather; we change the thermostat. We don't take care of ourselves; we leave that to the doctors and the lawyers. We don't take care of the people around us; we pay taxes and expect the government to do the caretaking. We place our trust in our locks and alarm systems. People come and go at dizzying speeds, and most encounters are frustratingly superficial. When I remember to ask someone, "How are you?" I seldom slow my pace to listen to the response. Reality is sometimes difficult to find in the "real" world."

I sincerely hope she doesn't mind me quoting her book on my blog...but honestly, I want to do it to never forget her words. Yes, I will buy the book and highlight it too.

Page 101-102...more brilliance...I won't quote it here in case it's an infringement...just trust me...words and insight you can eat off a plate!

learning to tie his shoes...

2011-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

the Prince graduated from velcro...well, he's trying...

the rabbit goes around the tree and through the hole...

not going so well...

a dash of Fall

2011-11-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

the Prince and I took a walk today with our camera to find Fall...

it wasn't too hard to find...

wrong time of year to diet...

2011-11-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Many of you have asked me how my doctor appointment went (the post where he was going to either confirm my terminal illness or confirm my hypochondria). Well, I am very thankful to report that I am blessed with good health (and yah, probably cursed with hypochondria)!

Just as I suspected my Vitamin D levels are low. Shocking, I know (being sarcastic here). He actually put me on 5,000mg of Vit D daily - um, a bit of an overkill don't you think? I know it's cloudy here in the Northwest yet I can't help but think that all this "low on Vitamin D" craze is going to reverse itself in 10 years when we find out that everyone who was taking Vit D supplements are now dying of toenail fungus...or some othersuch random curse. (Wait - sorry! that was totally the hypochondria talking! I'm sure we'll all be FINE!)

Sooo the doctor suggested I may want to lose a wee bit of weight (ahem) and would I be willing to avoid sugar for the next 3 months? I said yes....was on it for about 3 hours then well, we got all this Halloween candy....

and of course, there's Friday Night Dessert Night....which I could have avoided if I hadn't accidentally made myself a cone of ice cream as I was serving the children...

but really, who can diet this time of year? I mean next week is Sugar's birthday (no pun intended - "Sugar" is my 3rd born daughter) and she wants a Pink Party....

Then there is Thanksgiving and as much as I enjoy Turkey Day it's really the pie that makes the holiday...(oh, and egg nog)

oh, and whip cream....

then, mother of all sugar-cubes, there's the Holy Grail of Christmas...

My doctor wants to retest my cholesterol in January which I thought maybe I could eat my way through the holidays and then avoid sugar in January, but January is Jelly's birthday....

So are you freaking kidding me??? Avoid sugar these next 3 months...all because I have hypochondria and went to see the doctor for tests when I was healthy.

Please tell me, how can I resist???

quickest way to clean a microwave

2011-11-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Microwave a full cup of water on high for 3 minutes.

Wipe.

Voila!

Details, details.....I wipe inside of microwave using a paper towel and light spray cleaner (I use Shaklee's Basic H2 Organic). The steam that the cup of water releases loosens any splatters and they wipe right off!

Don't forget the 'ceiling' of your microwave - that gets the most splatters when someone 'forgets' to cover their food. Don't be gross -- clean your microwave!

dashing to Christmas

2011-10-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

God Bless America and God Bless the Suburbs...yes, we need your blessing Lord as I checked my email this morning and discovered that even though it's not even Halloween yet, I am somehow already 6 days behind preparing for Christmas!!!

Yes, according to Organized Christmas, I should already have:

created a Christmas planner

set up a family Holiday calendar

made travel arrangements

scheduled appointments

arranged family photo sessions

scheduled carpet cleaning

focused my Holiday values

prepped my Master Gift List

made my Christmas Card List

stocked freezer with meals for December

and today's assignment:

plan holiday Home Improvement Projects

freeze loaves of Quick Bread

6 weeks to an Organized Christmas so that I can have

"more time, more joy and less stress."

Yay! Thank God there is a basket of Halloween candy nearby so I can chew my way through the next 6 weeks preparing for my simplified Christmas.

Strawberry Ghosts

2011-10-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Blondie brought these darling 'ghosts' to a Halloween party this week

Strawberry Ghosts

30 strawberries

2 boxes white baking chocolate

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Wash strawberries, set out to dry or wipe with paper towels to dry

Melt white baking chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl

Stir (optional: add 1/8 tsp almond extract)

Dip each strawberry

Set on wax paper-lined baking sheet, let excess form ghost's tails

Immediately press mini chocolate chips into coating for eyes

Freeze 5 minutes

Melt remaining chocolate chips, stir until smooth.

Use a toothpick to draw a mouth on each face.

(adapted recipe from Taste of Home)

a few of my favorite things...

2011-10-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Iced Grande Soy Caramel Macchiato

being the first one to break open the Nutella

My own personal bag of chocolate covered berries

I had my first Physical in ... well, probably since I've had my last baby six years ago. I decided now that I'm over 40 (ahem, way over 40) it was time for a Physical. Yesterday I got a call that the doctor wants me back in to go over the results of my blood test. Shoot! Now that means I am going to be worried for 11 days. They actually scheduled my follow-up on Halloween Day. Could it get any more frightening?

My guess is they found an overabundance of chocolate and caffeine in my blood and want to know how I exist on such a limited diet.

My fear is they found an extremely rare disease and I have one month to live.

But if that were the case, wouldn't they call me back in sooner? So I'm feeling pretty good that they scheduled my appointment 11 days out. Maybe it's more like "you have two months to live" kinda thing?

My hunch is they are going to tell me "you have a Vitamin D deficiency" which is the current 'disease of the month' here in the Northwest suburbs.

Ugh. Why did I go the doctor when I was well?

I'm scrapbooking today!

2011-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Head on over to

a dash of scrapbooking

if you want to see how I'm going to organize this mess on my floor!

Organizing goggles and pool toys

2011-10-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is how we carried our pool toys and goggles around all summer.

And voila! This is my new Zipper Pouch.

I had it personalized with "Marco Polo" and it now holds our pool toys and goggles. It has a slick interior that easily wipes off and/or dries in the sun. Just wanted to share how cute this is -- I feel so organized!

My Blog Kids are Famous!

2011-10-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

My 3 girls and a prince have gotten fond of their blog names. Recently I had them personalized on a Mini Zipper Pouch. How cute is this?

Blondie, Jelly-in-the-Middle, Sugar, and the Prince

Jelly saw it and said, "Mom, thank you for including Buddy. It means a lot to me"

(she's knows I'm not a pet-person)

surviving suburbia

2011-10-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

parent pickup at the bus stop

i think it's now official

i'm the only mom in suburbia who doesn't own a dog

my girls never did that #196

2011-09-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

When Blondie and Jelly were little they had limited access to media. We didn't have the Flat Screens, the Wii, PlayStation, Cell-Phones, Texting, Facebook, Nintendo DS, Leapster.....heck, we didn't even have cable. They could watch tv on Wednesdays and really their only choice was PBS.

So on the 2nd week of First Grade when the Prince wrote down that his favorite activity is "Playing the Wii" it sort of produced a since of guilt. I mean this is NOT what you want your child's teacher to have a first-impression of your son...that he is a typical Suburban white kid who spends his spare time with eyes glazed over blasting the enemy.

too late. my girls never did that...

Next Big Thing - Thirty-One Gifts

2011-09-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this video of a behind-the-scenes look at the company I work for. It's featured in the first 8 minutes of the video. I am so thankful to be working for a company that is actually providing thousands of jobs in Ohio and across the country. As a sales rep I can literally work my business in all 50 states. Today I thank God for my business!

two towers

2011-09-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

two towers

standing tall

steel frames

to hold the walls

glass reflecting

power and wealth

yet two towers

come

crashing

two fine men

or so they're called

politicians

lured into fraud

and they come

crashing down

two colors

black and white

prejudices

dark and light

the dark one shines

light in his eyes

the light one dims

dark in his lies

two towers

standing tall

watch them fall

two parties

standing tall

puffed up suits

and protocol

loving God

and country too

yet blue hates red

and red hates blue

blood is coursing

through their veins

blood was shed

and He still reigns

reigning taller

than two towers

reigning over

superpowers

two hardest moves

the ones we need

extend a hand

and bend our knees

before we come

crashing down

crashing

by Donna Lyn Watson, copyright 9-11-09

dashing back to school part 2

2011-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

wait. i have a daughter who is a sophmore?

when did THAT happen?

here is Blondie on the first day of school looking to me like she's ready to teach one of the classes...

here's the whole perspective thing again with my tall kids - only this friend is in the same grade and not a year older like Sugar's photos (see dashing back to school)

and here is Jelly-in-the-Middle on her first day of 8th grade....she is in the top grade at Middle School and she said she kept looking around for older kids. She feels strange being the oldest at school (maybe it's a middle child thing?)...she is super excited to be back. I hope that excitement lasts all year long! (yah, right!) Personally, I love 8th grade because it's the best year of Middle School and let's be honest, Middle School sucks! I'm happy she's out of her black hoodie obsession and now letting her true beauty shine through (mixed with holey jeans, but we paid good money for those holes!)

God Bless my girlies, and make a great year!

dashing back to school

2011-09-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

I should have started my day with an iced grande soy caramel macchiato...then maybe I wouldn't have forgotten to put the Prince's lunch in his backpack on the first day of First Grade! I've been in denial that summer is coming to an end and the great hamster-wheel of Fall is actually upon us...

Sugar is going into 4th grade

My goal for this year is to prepare her outfits the night before

(instead of realizing as the bus is approaching that somehow she is wearing high heels to school along with a shirt of her sisters' that is 3 sizes too big)

(who? little sweet me? i would never accidentally put my sister's clothes in my drawers!)

You've heard me say my kids are tall...maybe this will give some perspective.

The two girls next to Sugar are both in 5th grade. Sugar is in 4th grade.

She doesn't seem to mind being the tallest kid..."it's all in the attitude" I tell her.

as in you can reach things others can't.

she rocks the attitude alright...not sure what attitude though.

speaking of attitudes...what happened to my sweet, innocent Kindergartner?

the Prince picked out this sweatshirt.

It's the only piece of clothing I've ever seen him get excited about.

I think it's cute for first-grade....but all I could think of when I saw them at Nordstrom was "flash mob robberies." Yah, don't buy these for your teenagers.

In the meantime he should stay out of trouble because he's not allowed to wear hoodies up at school.

I mentioned I forgot to put his lunch in his backpack on his first day of First Grade...big mommy fail. I didn't realize until it was almost time for him to come home. It sat in our fridge all day. I couldn't imagine what he did...would he cry? would he be embarrassed? would he be hungry? and how fortunate am I that my biggest problem today is my son forgot his lunch when there are people in Africa who walk for days to feed their children one meal and many of them are a day too late....

Blondie asked him what did you do when you realized you forgot your lunch?

To which the Prince replied, "Not panic."

That's when I realized my mommy fail wasn't a mommy fail because he could handle it.

He told me, "Mommy, they let you have free hot lunch in first grade!"

(No, they let you have free hot lunch on mommy-fail days, but he doesn't need to know that)

Whee....here we go on the hamster wheel...I can do this thing.

I can survive suburbia.

last day of summer vacation

2011-09-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

awww...thank you God for a perfect 85 degree day on the coast

we weren't the only ones appreciating a windless sunny choppy kinda day

i usually stand at this point and check out the waves

unobstructed

of all the years i've been coming here

i've never seen it 3-cars-deep right on the sand

made my stomach kinda hurt

the Prince opened a fortune cookie last night and it read,

"You will soon cross great water"

....could this be First Grade?

this shell photo reminded me of a photo I took when he was just a lil' guy...

soon crossing great water indeed.....from baby to Preschooler to Kindergartner

and now to School Boy

My mom is doing remarkably well post surgery...thank you for your prayers.

Happy Labor Day

and

last day of summer vacation for us...

Summer 2011

living the adventure

2011-09-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our church leaders handed out bandanas at the beginning of summer and asked us to send in photos of us "living the adventure." Part of the church mission statement is "living the adventure of following Christ." I'm not exactly sure what they were asking but that phrase stuck with me throughout the summer.

I was definitely "living the adventure" when I wore my bathing suit in public on our vacation. Yes, I used tanning lotion because tan fat looks better than white fat, but STILL! in public! This was a huge step for me and required massive amounts of prayer. So does that count? But no, you are not getting a picture! Maybe if the bandana were a tad bit bigger...

I was definitely "living the adventure" when my mother was going through open heart surgery and I was in the hallway outside of ICU with my head between my knees trying not to pass out. Again, no pictures, please.

Have you ever been to Crater Lake?

THAT is an adventure! You climb and climb the windy roads not seeing much of anything. You park and get out of your car and step on snow - and it is August. You think, hmmm we must be pretty high up. You walk up a little trail and peek over the edge and you

FREAK OUT!!!

You are standing at the top of a volcano peering over the deepest lake in the U.S.

The cliff drops 1,000 feet down to the water

The water is 1900' deep!

That is a lot of depth for a person who has acrophobia!

The depth is what causes Crater Lake to be so blue:

I'm a huge fan of blue. This is carribean blue right here in the Pacific Northwest but all I could think while peering down 1,000 feet was the words of a sign echoing "small pets have vanished over rim" over and over and over in my head.

This was huge to me. This was overwhelming to me. This was a problem. Because see that little boat down there?

Of course you can't see it. But see the trail of water behind the boat you can't see because this lake is so stinkin' HUGE? Well, we had tickets to go on that boat.

Suddenly the swimming pool back at our resort that used to scare me when the children were near it? Seemed like a wad of spit. Seriously? I was afraid of a swimming pool?

See the observatory tower hanging on the edge of the 1,000' rim?

It's just under the crop of trees at the top left - you can see dark stone structure - those are windows with no glass - just open (small pets have vanished over rim)

Well, we were going in that observatory.

See that lodge towering above another section of 1,000' cliff?

(small pets have vanished over rim)

Well, we were having lunch in that lodge.

Did I tell you I have acrophobia?

Did I tell you the air is extremely thin up here?

By the time we got to the lodge I looked at My Hero with tear-filled eyes and not wanting to freak out the children I urgently whispered "I. can't. do. this. I am not getting on a boat in 1900' of water!"

He is My Hero for a multitude of reasons and this is one of them. He very calmly asked, "What is it that you are worried about?"

Um...dropping something over the edge of the boat and having it float down

down

d o w n

down

drown

that thing being a piece of me never to return...

or that thing being me...unconscious and no-one could dive fast enough to retrieve my body

and it is at the

bottom

1900'

down

or one of my children...

my precious littlest one who slipped from our grasp

and sunk like a rock

from his water logged shoes which he couldn't remove in time...

small pets have vanished over rim

small pets have....

to which My Hero said nothing.

It takes a Hero to say nothing in the midst of crazy.

We had lunch at the lodge.

I prayed.

I honestly thought I just might be eating my last meal so I had a micro-brew.

It helped.

I also ran into a woman in the restroom who had just returned from the boat tour.

She was a heavy-set woman in her mid-40's...she survived.

She said the hardest part was hiking the 2.2 miles of vertical trail (hiking back she thought she "was going to die" but she didn't so that gave me some courage or was that the ~~beer~~ prayer?)

Mostly I thought about "Living the Adventure".

Darn bandana.

Yes, I wanted to sit in the car while My Hero and my 3 girls and a prince were taking a boat tour of Crater Lake. But did I want my 3 girls and a prince asking "why is mommy in the car?" and would they buy my story of "mommy suddenly came down with food poisoning and can only sit in the area that is farthest from the rim that pets have vanished over..." ?

Yah, I didn't think so either.

I prayed and prayed and prayed, "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalms 119:32

I also thought of Queen Esther, "If I die; I die."

So with a ~~beer~~ wing and a prayer, I didn't really decide as much as I just took one step at a time. Ok, I'll drive over to the other side of the lake with them and then I'll see. Ok, I'll walk to the trail head and then I'll see. Ok, I'll walk half-way down the trail and then I'll see...and before I knew it I had peed 5 times and found myself...

on a boat in 1900' deep water for a two-hour tour!

I wasn't as relaxed as the Prince but I was definitely at ease.

As soon as we ventured out we saw a bald eagel!

So God had me at Majestic!

There are just things you see from a boat that you don't see from 1,000 feet up:

like the hundred shades of blue...the waterfalls...the shallow and the deep...

the phantom ship, the castle, and so much more!!

absolutely incredible.

Looking at these photos it seems silly that I was afraid to go on this boat. I guess that is the definition of acrophobia "an extreme or irrational fear of heights" (I was seeing it as floating on top of 1900' - which we were). So some people may not 'get' the bandana photo but to me it was another step in my journey of faith.

my girls never did that #195

2011-08-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

me to the Prince: You want some string cheese?
the Prince: Look Mom! It's a gun patch!

me: Ummm...my girls never did that!

sun-kissed hair

2011-08-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

this is the color of Sugar's hair on the first day of our vacation

and this is Sugar's hair on the last day of our vacation

it would probably be this color all year long if we lived in Southern California

this is what my hair looked like when I was a So Cal girl...

my eyebrows and eyelashes were also white-blonde

so i was often asked if I was albino. no.

i didn't think so anyway. was i? i use mascara now.

then I saw Orlando Bloom in the Lord of the Rings...i thought white blonde hair looked kinda cool. and maybe i shouldn't have been so sensitive to people's comments.

now i pay for blonde hair....pregnancy and the Pacific Northwest took that away from me

a dash of summer

2011-08-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

beach

sand

parks

kites

s'mores and bbq's

long days, short nights

Nordstrom anniversary sale

naps

waterfalls

hiking trails

swimming pools

tan lines

bottle rockets

lemon cucumbers from our garden

ice cream

aaahhhhh....summer

update on my momma

2011-08-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

who is my momma who chose open heart surgery?

who said yes to that at 82 years old?

who went from that....

to this -- in just 3 weeks?

the day she received these Victoria Secret pajamas in the mail

is the same day she received her first Handicap Permit for her car

who is this beautiful lady of a quiet and gentle strength?

"Where does my help come from?

It comes from the Lord,

maker of heaven and earth."

She says she has a lot to live for....

God isn't finished with her yet...

and all those other cliches' we say when we've skirted death

something to live for alright...

someONE to live for

lots of someones....

and something about being home that brings healing...

and her view isn't too shabby either...

if the fathomless ocean blue doesn't bring healing, I don't know what does.

I know it heals my soul.

A few weeks ago in the hospital, I was thinking, "I could never go through open heart surgery." Yet my petite momma chose to endure it for a longer hold on this life. For all those 'someones' she wasn't ready to say goodbye to. Her quiet strength has been an inspiration to me. Maybe I could go through the next dark valley with faith and determination and grace. (And a team of medical professionals to whom we are eternally grateful).

Yes, God isn't finished with her yet.

None of us are.

would you rather?

2011-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

So...last week I was supposed to go to Ohio for my first Thirty-One Gifts Convention.

I looked forward to:

getting a feel for the company culture

seeing the new product reveal

getting hands-on training

I wasn't looking forward to:

flying

traveling alone

leaving my children

So I did what I normally do when I'm anxious about something...

I prepared by playing my own personal game of "Would You Rather?" As in...would I rather be in a shark-viewing tank off the coast of California or would I rather be on a commercial jet experiencing a few bumps of turbulence, snacking on M&M's and diet Dr. Pepper, reading a book about scientists who willingly hang out in shark-infested waters? Yah, flying's not so bad. I checked out "Devils Teeth" from the library and was ready to dig into a good airplane read.

I was never afraid of flying until I had children then suddenly major fears came into my life.

I remember reading about a soldier who returned from Iraq and he cringed everytime he heard an American businessman fearful of flying. This humbled me. I thought reading Devil's Teeth on an airplane would serve as a good reminder to me.

Only!

Only...I had no idea that before I finished packing and before I had even prepared meals for my family, I would receive a phone call that my mom was rushed to the hospital via ambulance because she was having a heart attack. That in less than 24-hours she would be moved to a bigger hospital and end up having quadruple bypass surgery. That I would not be going to Ohio.

So the weird thing is I got this book Devil's Teeth to help me get through what I thought was going to be a difficult time (flying in an airplane) yet I had a much more difficult time in front of me - watching my mom go through quadruple bypass surgery. Hey, I know SHE was the one going through the difficult time. No doubt. But still...for me (and her)...I would rather be hanging out in shark-infested waters with a group of passionate, highly-trained scientists.

This is up there with the Top 5 Most Horrible Days of My Life:

1. Taking my Father off of life support

2. Jelly's accident with the coffee table resulting in 19 stitches

3. Having a miscarriage

4. Watching my mom go through this horrible surgery

5. Getting hit by an intoxicated driver 3 months after I got my driver's license

God showed up huge in every single one of these horribles. HUGE!

Still.

Would you Rather?

I need to be careful with that game...

my momma took one to heart

2011-07-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

sweet mama

she stared at Sugar like she was staring at her own daughter

her own daughter at age 9

'you know who you look like?' she smiled at Sugar

"me?"

'yes, you look like you!' (laughing) 'and you look like your mom when she was 9'

sweet mama couldn't stop staring at her

sweet mama had such love in her eyes

her eyes were dancing with

memories

delight

the real daughter felt invisible

i'm here! i'm just grown-up! i wanted to say...

but instead i peeked over the veil of time

and watched her watching me at age 9

and got that i was a delight to her

and she loved me

and she loves me

as i do my children

with delight

wonder

and a twinkle in the eye

organizing school memorabilia

2011-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

so I pulled out the school memorabilia boxes from the attic and a lot of other stuff that had accumulated in there....

'stuff' like 14 lids.....

???

I keep a container in my pantry where I deposit school work all year long (see How to Organize School Memorabilia post). I went through the pile and put them in the following piles:

1. School Scrapbooks (4 piles)

2. School Memorabilia Box (4 piles)

3. Recycling (1 gigantic bon-fire-worthy pile)

The problem was when I pulled out the Memorabilia Boxes.....

Can you tell which one belongs to my first-born?

Yes, that would be the one on the top left...the one bulging inside and exploding on the outside with Stuff-that-wouldn't-fit-inside.

I started going through her stuff and by the end we were laughing so hard at the absurdity of what I was hanging onto. She truly didn't want me to keep any of it (!) but I told her when she is famous I am going to sell a lot of this on E-bay. If someone will pay $5,000 for Scarlett Johansson's used tissue, I'm sure some of Blondie's original artwork will be in high demand.

In the end we had a bon-fire-worthy pile of 'recyling'....I kept most of her artwork and for sure her writing samples. Are you sure you don't want me to keep your illustrated poster of Cnidarians? You won't ever reference the Lifecycle of the Butterfly? your illustration of Capacity Girl? Book Report on the Great Railroad? Not even your booklet on the Weather Cycle (with cotton ball clouds?)?? No??

She convinced me.

I can close the lid now! I have room for this year's memorabilia...except she didn't save any.

Only what I snagged for her High School album.

Ahhh...that's better.

Surviving Suburbia.

what's beyond your current view?

2011-07-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

i stumbled upon this old rusty bench the other day...

i sat down and this was my view:

who puts a bench directly in front of a bush?

unless it's been there a long, long time...

which it has.

and the bush is overgrown and neglected.

i sat for awhile staring at this hedge.

and i thought of life...

how sometimes we sit and kinda get stuck.

how the obstacles in front of us seem so thick.

so insurmountable.

or maybe we aren't even thinking about obstacles.

but just taking in what's in front of us because we think that's all there is.

and then...

we stand up.

and see something more...

just beyond this crag is the fathomless ocean

so deep and blue

a wealth of opportunity and adventure

and open space...

and then i thought

all it takes is action

i need to stand up

or move

or climb stairs

or make a call

or take a class

get another perspective

take flight

step back

see the Big Picture

what's beyond your current view?

summer read

2011-07-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

loved, loved, loved this book! susan casey is a fantastic writer...who knew a 316 page book on rogue waves would be such a page turner? maybe because i have always had a thing for waves and the power of the ocean. but still, she's a fantastic writer. she 'gets' the surfers she hangs with and was able to convey the terror and thrill they go through in a respectful, appreciative way. she was able to weave the big wave surf culture, science, and history into a riveting book!

happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday America!

these cupcakes welcomed My Hero home from Japan...

As we celebrate America's birthday tonight, I think about all of our brave men and women who haved served and are currently serving to protect our country and keep our freedom. I think about all of the children who baked Welcome Home cupcakes. I think about the jet-lagged parent who sits on the floor letting his little Prince just 'hang out' as close to daddy as he can get. May God bless America!

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chron 7:14

Blondie's extreme room makeover

2011-06-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Blondie wanted a bigger bed and this spawned a Total Room Makeover.

She re-did her room at age 13 because she was a 'teenager' and I remember at the time telling her she might want to wait because 13 is just the beginning....a lot happens between 13-15...well, she didn't believe me and now at 15 she wants a Total Room Makeover.

I'm still coming out of one of the busiest seasons of my life and trying to regroup and catch up (remember the whole catch my breath post?) So when Blondie got that certain look in her eye and said, "Can I paint my room today?"

Okee dokee....she invited a couple of friends over and they had a Paint Party. A Teenage Paint Party...doesn't that sound like fun? They were very subdued when I was in the room (they gave me the honor of 'cutting in'...oh joy!). They were so quiet I thought how sad that is and how boring. It reminded me of how they are when I drive the girls to Cheer.

They were so quiet that I left to pick up my other kiddos and go on errands, etc.. As soon as I walked downstairs though I could hear squeals and giggles and laughter and talking, talking, talking.

Hmmm.

When I came back the room looked like this:

If you've read or watched Pretty Little Liars you will get this. Wouldn't be so bad if there weren't at least 3 paint spills (ON THE CARPET!) and a few ceiling bumps...but .... ahhh....well....we need new carpet anyway...(still!!!)

so it's coming together...hot pink with black borders....she took off for summer sleepover fun at someone else's house...all her 'stuff' is in my room and the Prince's room. so updates to follow...

summer

2011-06-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

sunglasses

flip flops

Northwest ocean water without the brain freeze

can only mean one thing around here...

summer!!!

father's day

2011-06-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

this is My Hero on Father's Day morning....reading the bible.

Usually My Hero makes pancakes or waffles or French toast on Sunday mornings but today our 3 girls and a prince did not let him in the kitchen. So he sat down and read the bible.

See why I call him My Hero?

This is what we found in the kitchen...our very own Bagel Bar!

the menu:

for our adventurous dads we have the Nutella Bagel filled with protein!

for our caring dads we have the Cream Cheese Bagel, it's heavenly white!

for our loving dads we have the Jam & Butter Bagel, it's as sweet as you are!

for our Dads-on-the-Go we have our Breakfast Bagel, with everything to start your day!

Fortunately (our dad) will not starve as he is all these traits and more so he will need four bagels! WE LOVE YOU DADDY!

In the oven were scrambled eggs, Omelettes, toasted bagels, warmed plates and the Special Plate for My Hero. On the counter were stations for the bagels where you could build your own bagel.

Blondie and Jelly got up early (with no help from mom!!) to pull this off for daddy. Way to go girls!! Sugar and the Prince made special presents for daddy and then after church ALL the kids helped daddy turn over and plant our summer garden. <3 They did good honoring daddy and we are thankful he is home on Father's Day! <3

last day of school!

2011-06-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of school for my 3 girls. The Prince had his last day yesterday. Blondie has made it through her first year of High School. She likes High School so much better than Middle School (does anyone like Middle School?) Of all her accomplishments this year, I think she is most proud of not repeating a single outfit. We are most proud that she stayed on top of her grades while having an insanely busy schedule.

Jelly wore a black hoodie almost everyday this past year (Middle School is hard). She is a beautiful girl and the most beautiful thing about Jelly is her smile. I am so proud of her for wearing something so pretty on her last day. She is probably most proud that she made Honor Roll each quarter.

Sugar is still sweet as ever. She has a cute way of layering textures and patterns together with her outfits (that usually say, "My mom is too busy to dress me"). She makes her own lunch everyday and was promoted to Self Manager at school this year (it's like a line-leader). She is probably most proud that she likes grapes (inside joke) and we are most proud that she stayed so sweet!

last day of Kindergarten

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

just watched as the Prince boarded the bus for his last day of Kindergarten.

my 4th time doing this and i feel the tears starting as this is my last one...

my how he's changed in one year:

just look at that precious little guy on his first day of Kinder.

all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

thankfully he has had an AMAZING teacher and she hasn't squealched any of his initial enthusiasm for learning. in fact, he was a bit sad today not wanting to say goodbye to his friends nor his teacher. he can read whole chapter books now. he reads everything...he said they started calling him "book worm" at school. makes a momma proud! (a book-worm momma)

i remember this photo taken on the first day of Kinder (see post: Onward Kindergartner). i think it's funny he is wearing the same shirt. they are doing Relays in Kinder today and he is on the "Orange" team. this is his only orange shirt apparently. we put together this darling All-in-One Organizer for his A+ teacher via my Thirty-One Gifts business:

Because he is in afternoon-Kindergarten, the Prince gets out of school a day earlier than his older sisters. This is his last ride on the afternoon-bus...

Good job little man!

the Prince has his first and last (?) piano recital

2011-06-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

so the Prince is wearing his first little-man tie. it wasn't until i looked at these photos that i noticed one of the buttons on his vest is not buttoned. this sort of thing should bother me but it's just a reflection of the current state of dashing through my life that my motherhood is in. my own mother would have never missed such an important detail. the Prince and i had fun shopping for his little-man suit. he surprised me with his enthusiasm and opinions. he really wanted the vest pocket with a little handkerchief poking out. i really didn't want him looking like a pimp so we ~~compromised~~ settled.

it was his idea to take piano lessons. he flew through the first 3/4 of the book then sort of petered out at the end with laments of, "it's hard..." "i'm tired..." "i don't wanna..." yes, I recently read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother but i wasn't about to go all Amy Chua on him. all i told him was to 'finish strong.' he informed me he would do the recital but then he was quitting.

we arrived at the recital 'in the nick of time' (refer to current state of dashing through my life). the Prince told me he was feeling a little uncomfortable. i reminded him that he is not being judged; this is all about honoring his piano teacher today by playing his best. since he was the youngest he was the first one to perform:

he introduced himself and the piece he was to play (Night Owl...which is basically 7 seconds of him jabbing 3 fingers on the keys). i could tell he was a bit nervous. he sat down at the piano bench and before he began i heard him exhale. a cleansing breath! where does he learn this stuff? it was sooo cute! and he played beautifully - to me it might as well have been Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

everyone clapped and his teacher presented him with his very own Bach 'trophy'. this was a very happy moment indeed. this smile shows the reward of a job well done.

then they had cookies. Cookies! he is most definitely reconsidering quiting piano. he noticed the older children played longer pieces and a few of them played 2 pieces. the Prince would like to resume piano after summer break. i wonder...if i would have gone all Amy Chua on him, would he have come to this decision from a place of joy like he did? or would he have burned with resentment inside complying to my demands?

they are cutting Orchestra - ugh!!

2011-06-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

so far we have been very fortunate in our school district to have such a strong arts program.

until today.

just got word they are cutting Orchestra from both High School and Middle School.

High School will be completely gone.

Middle School is moving our Orchestra teacher to an elementary school and offering our Jelly-in-the-Middle an Orchestra class with the Band teacher. Word is the band teacher does not want to teach Orchestra nor knows how to teach strings. We 'invested' in purchasing a violin instead of renting one figuring out our investment would pay off over time vs. renting an instrument each year. Now? Not so much.

I am thankful for the time that Jelly had learning to play the violin. She is very sad to lose this piece of herself. We feel very helpless in the decision. Choir and Band are both very large classes but Orchestra has always been smaller. It is difficult but study after study shows that Orchestra students benefit academically by being in orchestra. They are an intelligent, self-disciplined group of kids. I have served on our PSO for several years and we raised a lot of money to support the arts. We very recently sent the Orchestra kids on buses to visit the various elementary schools to promote Orchestra to incoming 6th graders. Now just a few weeks later it is being cut? Is that a good use of our money??

This is Jelly at her last Orchestra Concert (didn't know it at the time) taken just 1 week ago. That is joy on her face. Like I said, I am thankful for the time she HAD. Disappointed in the decisions the school district is making by cutting this small yet valuable program.

sign it's time for school year to end

2011-06-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Must be time for the school year to end...I can no longer see the bus from my window. All the dogwood flowers from Spring have blown away....

To be replaced by a thick green screen of leaves...

blocking out the school bus and whispering, "summer. summer. summer."

dashing here and there

2011-06-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Life is moving too fast. I'm dashing here and there and everywhere. I feel like I am literally running from one thing to the next. Not doing anything truly well. Just doing things fast and getting things done and whew! on to the next 'to do!' The list is endless and it never stops. It's like being on one of those spining whirls on a playground. It's fun as you get it spinning faster and faster but just one spin too many and you realize you don't feel so well and it's going to take a lot of effort to get it to slow down.

You catch a glimpse of how life can be - all clear and intentional over by that patch of grass and tree over there...but it's....spinning so fast and it is going to take great effort to slow it down. Yet your (my) gut is telling you that this spinning whirl pace is not sustainable. It's break-down pace. Not mentally so much as physically. Yes, I'm in my 40's and I have to start thinking about things like blood pressure, stress, wrinkles....and falling off the darn thing!

I'm not just "in my 40's" but I HAVE FOUR KIDS and I'm in my 40's...I have been throwing that phrase out there a lot lately trying to gain some sympathy? As in "someone without 4 kids should be doing this!" It's just naturally busy at home...and this is my blog so I get to whine here if I want but the other night I wrote down just a few of the places I am dashing in my current season of life:

high school

cheerleading

theatre

dmv - driver's ed

youth group

middle school

orchestra

lacrosse

indoor soccer

girl scouts

elementary school

sunday school

homework, homework, homework, homework

piano

cub scouts

housework

31 business

cm business

friends

bible study

church

volunteer

wife

blog

write

scrapbooking

couponing

In Spring things ratchet up to a frenzy as all these activities are wrapping up and it seems everything is just demanding more and more out of me. Blondie and I were talking about that the other day because she is feeling the same end-of-school-year-pressure too. We were talking about how it's busy like this in the Fall too but it's a different kind of busy.

In the Fall we are coming off of a summer season and ready for the schedule of Fall again. We anticipate all the things to do and look forward to being busy. In the Spring though we are coming off of Winter and our Vitamin D is depleted, our energy is sapped, our reserves are sparce...so when things ratchet up, it feels more like pressure than joy.

That's my theory anyway.

That, and being overscheduled. It's gotten to the point where I want to say NO to everything and take a deep breath (for several years -- just breathe)...but for today I say YES. YES to life. YES to commitments. YES to 'finishing the year strong' (what I'm constantly telling my 3 girls and a prince). I say YES today but this summer I am taking a look at uh-uh.

color me katie

2011-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Love this gal's blog! Color Me Katie
Her art inspires me. Her blog post photography outstanding! Her ideas are simple yet always I'm wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?" Because I'm stuck in Suburbia? Be inspired today. Check it out!

mothering books

2011-05-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have been reading some horrible, horrible books on mothering. Really depressing. Full of anger and defiance, rants on 'rights', bashing of husbands, fear of feminity, fear of nuturing, books like:

Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Perfect Madness (which nearly drove me mad reading it!)

The reviews were good and they sounded interesting but they were very depressing and upsetting. There was no Faith in these books -- so I would say they were Secular books. And that is the difference.

Women's rights can become a Religion.

Success can become a Religion.

Without God in my life motherhood would have done me in. It was my reaching out to God for guidance with a heavy dose of peace and patience and JOY that gives my "mothering" meaning and purpose.

Yes, there are extremes in mothering but for the most part I think we are all bumbling along trying to do our best. It is the most demanding, self-sacrificing job I have ever had. My children are pretty independent so I don't mean self-sacrificing in that I am a doormat. Mothering though is Giving. There is no other way to describe it. And giving is not about 'self'. I do believe it comes back to you though. My hunch is that a lot of these books that are popular now are written by Mothers of Preschoolers.

When you are a Mother of Preschoolers you tend to think that:

1. your life is over

2. this will last forever

3. you are a slave to bodily fluids and subject to a life of wiping

So I can see how books of rage and discontent and husband bashing would come out of that.

But.

It does get better.

You will have a 'life' again. In the meantime, a little joy people?

There was an amazing post today over on "passionate homemaking" who just listed her Favorite Reads on Motherhood. YES!!! Just reading the titles of the books she chose refreshed my soul!

Go check it out.... and see what is the missing link (hint: He created the universe). Favorite Reads on Mothering

Here's to finding joy in the journey and bringing positive energy into whatever life circumstance you find yourself currently in.

my Mother's Day

2011-05-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

We have been crazy busy. The week of Mother's Day I was staying up past midnight each night putting Blondie's hair in curlers for her role as Lady Scaley in the play Nicholas Nickleby.

The performance would end at 9pm but each night was an after-party until about 11pm and then a shower and then a blow-dry so by the time I was able to put her hair up in curlers again it was around midnight. Oy! Thank God I had girls first because by the time the Prince is in theatre, I'll be soaking my dentures and hitting the pillow by 8pm!

My Hero was on military duty and kept apologizing that he was going to be gone on Mother's Day to which I kept reassuring him, "Don't worry about it - I'm not your mother."

Closing night of the play was exciting - after weeks of preparation, rehearsals and performances, it is over! But wait, there's another party and this one goes until 8am! This one is "at a crew-members house and she's a Senior and there is supervision and no alcohol and they are Christians so it's all good." Right! But it was all good and I'm so grateful for parents who open their home like that (who does that on Mother's Day eve?) Blondie texted me around 1 a.m. wishing me a Happy Mother's Day; she returned home at 4 a.m. and she slept the entire duration of Mother's Day....but I would have too (if only I could).

Jelly-in-the-Middle also pulled an all-nighter that weekend at a 'sleep'over so she was pretty much wiped out on Mother's Day as well. I didn't see her until well into the afternoon. So with My Hero gone and no big sisters to lead the pack, it was up to the little ones - Sugar and the Prince - to pull off the whole Mother's Day shindig. In otherwords, I get to sleep in and make pancakes.

But to my surprise, at 6:45 a.m., two little children come scampering in my room and whisper in my ear "Mommy, may we bring you breakfast in bed? Please?"

This put a whole new spin on 'her children will rise up and call her blessed'..... 6:45 a.m. on a Sunday?? Seriously?? So I said in my most gracious, appreciative, mommy voice, "No! I don't want you carrying a tray of food upstairs you might spill it!!" (finer moments have I)

"Pleeeease?"

"Ok, you can make me breakfast but I'll come down for it. Promise me you won't put anything on a tray? And don't make anything with fire!" (they have way less freedom than my uber-responsible first-born!)

Seriously sleep-deprived I stumble downstairs at 7am on a Sunday morning and this is what I find:

the most earnest children making the sweetest breakfast ever...

"toast" that was not toasted - no butter but a generous slathering of strawberry preserves between two pieces of wheat bread, yogurt that accidentally spilled onto my 'untoast', hot chocolate that was actually not hot because they made it how they like it (full of ice cubes so they won't burn their tongues)....I'm touched and then kinda crushed when it dawns on me that I'm gonna actually have to eat it (so wanted pancakes).

I slowly eat my soggy not toast and mmmm and ahhh over it. Now I understand why My Hero wanted to be here and I feel loved.

Thirty-One First Ever Fashion Show!

2011-05-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

a dash of Spring

2011-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Prince and I took a photo-shoot walk looking for "Spring"

If you ever wonder how us Pacific Northwest residents can stand all the rain, it's because of days like this. The sun comes out and you take a look outside and you see sooo many shades of green. Suddenly that Crayola box makes sense with all their shades of green. So the Prince and I took photos and enjoyed soaking up some Vitamin D...

It wasn't until after I came in and downloaded the photos that I had the most horrendous allergy attack....May and June are my "tired and sneezing" months. So it wouldn't be Spring without a picture of:

All-in-One Organizer

2011-04-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

crackle glaze craze and magic hair wand

2011-04-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny had to hunt far and wide to find Crackle nail polish and Shatter nail polish. It is the latest craze here in the Northwest and pretty darn hard to find since every store sells out as soon as it gets it.

First Jelly painted her nails with black nail polish (or other base coat).

Let dry.

Then paint over black with Crackle. Jelly has a light teal color Crackle.

It starts to crackle and it looks so cool!

Add a clear top coat to fnish.

Blondie used a tan Base Coat and then polished over with black Shatter Nail Polish which takes on the look of shattered glass.

Blondie has straight hair that won't hold a curl without Got-to-be-Glued hair gel. Until! Until she got the Magic Hair Wand and now she is no longer Blondie but Taylor Swift look-alike:

Blondie was so sweet to do this for Sugar's hair this morning:

and then today we got all spiritual and watched the new Barbie Fairy Movie. Well, the kids did. I sat on the couch and read "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" by Peggy Orenstein (yes, we went to church this morning, sheesh). My Hero endured all this from bed. He cut his medication in half because it's making him so nauseous. He actually picked up a Nerf gun while I'm typing this so we may be on the road to recovery! (But really I think he was just stepping in to protect the Prince from all this nail polish, hair curling, fairy watching kind of day!)

Good Friday

2011-04-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

one of my very best friends delivered this bouquet of Peeps to me today...

she told me she gave her Peeps a 'spa day'.

she lined up bowls of chocolate baths for them and let them soak.

then gave them a sprinkle makeover.

awww...i could use a warm bath of chocolate myself.

what a sweetie!! and talented and creative too.

i love my Jen <3

picked up an Easter bouquet at Costco yesterday.

we were supposed to be spending Easter at the beach

but My Hero came down with a horrible infection.

we have been in and out of doctors, hospitals, and pharamacies this week.

it's like the Energizer Bunny finally lost his batteries seeing My Hero hold on to walls to walk.

But God is Good and I am thankful that My Hero did not have to be hospitalized and he gets to suffer here at home. meanwhile our grass is growing tall like Easter Basket grass and it makes me happy to see it so Kelly Green and Growing after months and months and months of Winter.

No nails and blood and spiky crown of thorns in this corner. Good Friday is truly good with purple foam crosses, bunnies, and Peeps. As I take time to reflect today on the Cross I am thankful to be on the 'other side' of sacrifice. I've been studying the Tabernacle and all the animal sacrifices they had to do in the name of atonement. I mean, I can't even debone a chicken! I have a very hard time cooking with raw meat. Jesus came to be the supreme sacrifice. He took all that away - the blood and guts and works. He brought salvation and grace and glory.

And Peeps. And Purple Foam Crosses. At least in my little corner of the world.

lego birthday party

2011-04-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

round the troops! it's the Prince's 6th birthday!

used my Creative Memories supplies to make the invitations

used foam square adhesives to attach cardstock circles to a rectangle card

looks like a Lego!

typed up date, time, location, and other info

mounted onto each Lego 'peg'

centerpiece...some completed Legos from kits we purchased

Had to give a nod to Star Wars too as the Prince's favorite Wii game is Lego Star Wars

The table had individual Lego Kits so the guests could make their own Lego jeep or firetruck

we decorated in Lego colors: Black, Yellow, Blue, Red and Green

When the guests arrived we had a big pile of Lego bricks in the Family Room where they could just sit and build while waiting for the other guests to arrive. They also ran upstairs frequently to check out the Prince's room. And just to run up and down the stairs.

When everyone arrived we had them put together their Lego Kits. Some of the younger kids needed help. I got these Kits at Target on the Easter Bunny aisle.

When they finished building their jeeps and fire trucks, we had races out in the garage on the Prince's bike ramp. My Hero set up foam dart board, soccer games, ball toss and other fun garage games. We went totally old-school on this party and the kids loved it! These are the kind of parties I had when I was a kid (but the girl version). Just hanging out at home, playing games and eating cake.

After the races, I put their jeep/fire truck in their Goodie Bags

Also in the bags were:

Lego Candy (found at the Sweet Factory)

Rock Candy

Ball from the Ball Toss game

a Paratrooper toy

Gummie Lifesavers

Crazy Straw

We served pizza and fruit punch.

I made the cake the day before and frosted it that morning.

That was a mistake because the cake I used was too moist and it crumbled as I tried to cut it.

I forgot to leave the butter out on the counter so I microwaved it to soften it and the frosting was too runny. Soooo........

My disastrous Lego cake. Cut sheet cake into 3 rectangles.

Cut large marshmallows in half and frost - 6 per cake to resemble a Lego.

My oldest girls watch Cake Boss and they told me "there's no mistake that fondant can't fix, mom." I'm not a fan of fondant and didn't have any so I just used a ton of frosting and told the Prince "this is what happens when you put your Legos too close to fire - they melt."

He didn't care...he thought it was "totally awesome!"

Happy Birthday, Prince!

Many of these ideas (and more!) can be found at Lego-riffic Party 6yr by Laura in Wrentham, MA who was so kind to share her ideas on birthdaypartyideas.com

my new normal

2011-04-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, she got her braces off!

But I don't think that is why Jelly is smiling so big.

It has more to do with the mud splattered all over her face.

You see she started a new sport - Lacrosse.

I knew that it would be outdoors and I knew that Jelly LOVES the outdoors.

What I didn't know is what Football Moms go through.

I now know. Well, minus the body odor and jock straps.

But, ew!!

Soccer was never like this. Lacrosse is fierce!

Her coach told the girls "take your Lacrosse stick with you in the shower to wash it off."

Um, no.

So yes, I got my pretty smiley girl back but at a price. A very dirty price. But it's what makes her happy...the great outdoors! So I will not worry about the mud. I might put some towels in the car, but I won't make a fuss about it. I have mentioned before that when Jelly was little, she would cry anytime practice was cancelled due to rain (softball, soccer). Lacrosse doesn't cancel. They are fierce, like football. And this is my new normal.

my baby album 40+ years later...

2011-04-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

my mom surprised me on my birthday big time!

she made my 'baby album'....40+ years later...

i know my mom doesn't like talking about her age, but i have to say

she is 82 years 'young!'

she does not like to scrapbook.

but as frustrating as this was to accomplish i know she can feel proud of the finished product.

when i received it, i could easily have been reduced to a puddle of tears,

so i put up my little self-protective wall (ok, my 40-foot fortress) and

graciously accepted this priceless gift without blubbering like an idiot or going into the ugly cry.

all which would have been fine, it's my mom, afterall.

but i dont' know...i just didn't want to 'go there.'

we have gone through so much and she has faithfully been my cheerleader through it all.

always encouraging, supportive and ready with a hug.

that's my mom.

i gave up on having a baby book years ago and i took my box of photos

so i have no idea where she came up with all of these photos. she told me 'it wasn't easy!'

what i especially loved were all the little notes and treasures she slipped in there. like this one:

"Dear Mom, Thank you for saving my life this morning. Love, Donna"

I would love to know the story behind that one!! But when you get the album 40+ years later the story is forgotten. (It's ok, mom, I'm sure it wasn't quite as dramatic as it sounds! maybe you killed a spider?)

I was pretty sweet and innocent as a child but was exposed to a ton of stuff that was not age-appropriate....well, I should say, not really appropriate for any age. Nobody's fault, just the product of a broken home in the 60's-70's. So it makes me sad to think of 'what could have been' and makes me lament the turn in my heart towards anything that would numb the pain.

So...rather than go down the "what if" trail, I focus and look around and say

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

for where I am today!!!

Healed and whole!! My wounds don't gape open as quickly as they used to. Instead of bandaids that keep getting ripped off, it is more like scars - they are healed but they are there.

"Hear" are things I wanted my mom to 'remeber':

1. Smile

2. Be Patient

3. Be Understanding

4. Pray

5. Remember me!

My children would probably write that same list.

Wouldn't we all?

My mom worked for Pepperdine University and she had access to the holy grail of Office Supplies. Here is a memorandum I sent to her in 1977:

I would please like some forms to fill out.

If you have any me and Lisa W. would appreciate it.

If you do, please give some to me and Lisa W. to play office.

Thanks,

(signed very officially by me)

What happened to that little girl who likes to fill out forms?

You would think as a mommy of 4 that I would be in heaven with all the forms I have to fill out!

This was a good reminder that what I'm doing now is what I 'played' when I was a kid.

My 'baby album' - 40+ years later.

it touched my heart and i think another little wound just healed.

Japanese Garden Memorial Wish Arbor

2011-03-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Portland's Japanese Garden is known for being the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. We headed over there this weekend to see the Memorial Wish Arbor for Earthquake and Tsunami victims. Paper cranes, notes of encouragement, prayer support and donations to Mercy Corps.

Ever since Jelly was a little girl she has had a love for Japan. She loves manga art, steamed rice, paper, and all things Japanese...especially the people. She has had a dream to visit Japan someday. Japan has been on the #1 spot of my Top 5 travel dream destinations as well. We are so sad for what has happened over there...unfathomable.

I don't know what they are doing but I know that us Northwesterners get giddy when the sun makes an appearance after 23 days of rain. We are so blessed!!!

Sand and Stone Garden

"the beauty of blank space"

the Natural Garden

those are rain drops...it started to pour when we were strolling about

don't you dare complain about a few drops of rain.

don't you dare, i warned.

unfathomable.

harness the rain through a single bamboo spout

thank you, God, for mercy.

unfathomable...what happened in Japan...

yet, here we text...because we can.

we seek shelter from drops of rain...

we are tempted to complain...

(don't you dare)

momma is reflective today...look at my little guy, so happy!

unfathomable.

it's a lark.....it's inner peace....

it's beauty. we are surrounded by beauty and shelter here.

at the Japanese garden.

and love.

so much love.

I thank God every day that I am alive in this country.

Help me, Lord, to be 'alive' everyday.

Alive in gratefulness and joy and awareness.

Not dead in shallowness, pettiness,

or complaints about rain getting me wet...

so blessed!

thanking God today for warmth and love and shelter...

an Irish blessing

2011-03-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm

upon your face,

And the rains fall soft upon

your fields,

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the

palm of His hand.

Happy Maewyn Succat Day!

praying for Japan...

2011-03-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

random quotes (I've read posted below the devastating tsunami videos:

"How pitifully small we are compared to nature. How ridiculous our puny and futile feuds when compared with forces like this."

"Suddenly My problems aren't so Big anymore."

Yah. You give birth in pain so you can grow old (and be in pain) so you can die. Or die young and beautiful but suffer in a horrific way. I'm in a mood today, eh? I can only cling to the promise that this is a broken and fallen world. "A speck upon a speck on a speck" My font isn't even working right today. (Oh, us Americans have SUCH problems! Darn font!)

Yet there is One who watches over all. One who sees the big picture that this (earth) is not our home...we are just a passin' through. A breath. A vapor. Do you know Him? Do you know that He is not tsunami? Do you know that God is love? Do you know that there is a battle going on that is bigger than any of us and it involves your very soul?

Don't shake your fist at him. Bow your knees to Him.

See the love in the rescue worker willing to risk his life on the hope of one survivor amongst the ruins and thousands of dead bodies...THAT is God.

See the love in the father who called and called and called his daughter's cell phone without an answer. Who then got in his car and drove over broken road and devastation until he ran out of fuel. Who then got out of his car and walked for miles to the airport where his daughter worked and hope upon hope is digging through the rubble now.

THAT is God. For God is LOVE.

Thirty-One Gifts Easter Basket Ideas and Giveaway!

2011-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

It's time for another give-away! Go to my Facebook page www.Facebook.com/adashof31 and "like" the page (if you haven't already). When we get to 131 fans, your name will be entered into a drawing for a FREE Easter Basket!! No purchase necessary. Please tell your friends who have not heard of Thirty-One...it's totally new to the Northwest so chances are most haven't heard of it yet. Just look at all the cute ideas for Easter:

Easter comes late this year....April 24. We have darling bags that can be personalized with your child's name and re-used throughout the year! Bags range in price starting at just $12. (plus 8% shipping). You can view Thirty-One catalog here:

Allow 3 weeks for shipping. Thank you for supporting my home-business and also thank you for your referals! For those of you on Facebook, it's been a great place to see a bunch of photos of our products in use as well as monthly sales and specials.

This week I'm getting my Easter box out and getting ready to start the 'walk through the bible' with my kids. I will post soon about the 40 days leading up to Easter and how to make it one of the most meaningful seasons in your home (Hint: it's not all about the Bunny)

Snowbruary

2011-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

What do you do when it snows and it's almost March?

you have a tea party, of course!

dashing here and there

2011-02-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

What we've been up to....Girl Scout cookie time! I did my usual corporate-buyout-freezer-stock-up but mostly it was her efforts this year that did it. She's a Cadette now working on raising money for the Ronald McDonald house. Here are the cookies in order of most sold:

#1 Thin Mints (choc mint)

#2 Samoas (coconut/caramel/choc/van)

#3 Trefoils (shortbread)

the others aren't worth mentioning because these top 3 were so far ahead

My top favs? Thin Mints and Trefoils....'nuff said.

Watching Toddlers and Tiaras and getting lectures from mom...

The show used to be tolerable but it's gotten downright....well, don't even get me started. My 3 girls and a prince watched this again recently and got a Big Long Lecture from me. The last one they watched I pretty much said THAT'S IT. No more. So they resorted to fixing up their doll house instead.

The playroom for the self-absorbed-3-year-old-who-hates-her-mom-poking-mascara-in-her-eye-almost-as-much-as-she-hates-seeing-her-mom-frown-when-she-wins-prettiest-smile-because-that-means-she's-not-eligible-to-win-Grand-Supreme-but-hey-it's-all-about-me-and-I-get-daddy-time-when-he-tells-me-to-shake-my-booty-while-practicing-for-the-glitz-swimsuit-competition....yah, there are certain things I just hate about that show. And I wonder what it's really like though because if video cameras were camped out at my house I bet they could make me look like a horrible parent too with clever editing.

Meanwhile I'm promoting my new business and feeling good about offering something that is affordable and cute and functional. We are still in the drudge of winter but these prints make me happy so it's been fun.

Starting a business from scratch has been made easier because I get to use their cute products as a 'business expense.' Sweet!

I set up a Facebook page www.Facebook.com/adashof31 Check it out! Please click "like" on the page to get updates and photos of what I'm offering. Would you do something for me? Would you please tell your friends about my Facebook page? Since I don't have a 'store' the only way to do this is by word-of-mouth. I am doing drawings for Gift Certificates so everyone who 'likes' my Facebook page has a great chance of winning some cool prizes!! Thanks!!

The other stuff that has been going on is the kid's sports: Cheerleading, Competitive Cheer, Indoor Soccer, Basketball, ....... oh, and a full scale assault on our living room....